Built around the skeletal remains of the Godzilla that attacked Tokyo in 1954, Kiryu was an advanced cyborg designed to defend Japan from the kaiju that frequently menace it, particularly the current Godzilla. Kiryu first saw action in 2003 when it was deployed to battle Godzilla when he surfaced at Hakkeijima. However, Godzilla's roar awakened the original Godzilla's restless spirit that was attached to Kiryu's skeleton, causing the machine to go berserk. Kiryu was recalled and his programming altered so this incident could never occur again, then was sent out against Godzilla a second time when he landed at Tokyo. Kiryu fought Godzilla to a draw, leaving him with a gruesome chest wound and itself losing an arm. Kiryu was rebuilt over the course of a year, and sent into combat with Godzilla again when he returned to Tokyo. Kiryu fought alongside Mothra and her twin larvae, and finally triumphed against his organic counterpart by reopening the wound on Godzilla's chest. The original Godzilla's spirit took control of Kiryu once again, and chose to sink itself in the Japan Trench with the immobilized Godzilla rather and deactivate rather than kill another member of its kind.

Name

Kiryu's nickname is derived from 機龍, Ki ryū, meaning machine dragon. Kiryu's primary legal name is simply "Mechagodzilla," while his official designation in the films is MFS-3, which is short for Multipurpose Fighting System Type-3 (３式多目的戦闘システム, San-Shiki Tamokuteki Sentō Shisutemu?). "Kiryu" is also trademarked by Toho, as seen in the copyright information for the game Godzilla: Unleashed.[3]

Design

Kiryu is considerably sleeker than other versions of Mechagodzilla and bears a closer resemblance to Godzilla than the previous versions. Kiryu also draws on the designs of the previousincarnations of Mechagodzilla. Kiryu's eyes are normally yellow, but whenever the original Godzilla's spirit is in control of Kiryu, his eyes turn bright red. In Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Kiryu develops a red 'scar' beneath his left eye when this happens.

The 2002 Kiryu suit is light silver in color, with various areas on its body exposing thick black wires underneath. The head has a long metal spike extending from the top of its forehead upward towards the back of its head. The eyes are large and relatively close together. They are usually yellow in color, but will turn red when Kiryu is possessed by the first Godzilla's spirit. A red scar extends underneath both eyes, and it will often glow when Kiryu roars. The suit's chest features three rounded plates that come together to cover the Absolute Zero Cannon housed underneath. When the suit is used to portray Super Weapons Kiryu, two blue rocket launchers are attached to its shoulders, while blue railguns are attached to its wrists.

The 2003 Kiryu suit is nearly identical to its predecessor, but has some differences upon closer examination. Firstly, this suit is painted a darker gray color and overall thinner and more streamlined than the previous suit, and features a smaller head and shorter neck. The suit's eyes are slightly smaller, and are further apart, and its chest is composed of three plates like the previous suit, however each one has a ridge on it, and the left chest plate has "MFS-3" written on it. The rest of it is mostly identical, although the exposed wires are a lighter shade of black, and there are many ridges and patterns present on the suit that were not present on the previous one. Its rocket launcher's and railguns are the same color as the suit instead of being blue. After the suit is damaged in the battle with Godzilla, its right eye is removed, exposing more metal and wiring underneath.

Origins

Kiryu is a bio-robot constructed by the Anti-Megalosaurus Force to combat Godzilla. Kiryu is constructed around the skeleton of the original Godzilla, who was killed by the Oxygen Destroyer in 1954. Kiryu was programmed with special "DNA computers" designed to make it operate like an organic creature, although the DNA sequence used in these computers had the unintended effect of leaving Kiryu susceptible to Godzilla's roar, which reawakened the original Godzilla's spirit and caused Kiryu to go berserk.

In the comic series Godzilla: The Half-Century War, Kiryu is an updated version of the previous Mechagodzilla made after studying Godzilla's skeletal structure, with bits of Godzilla's skin built into its armor. In the continuity of the comics Godzilla: Ongoing and Godzilla: Rulers of Earth, Kiryu is an updated model of the Mechagodzilla built by the American and Japanese governments created by wealthy industrialist Daniel Malmon. Eventually the machine was commandeered by the Counter-Kaiju Reaction forces and used alongside their other mecha M.O.G.U.E.R.A. to control the appearance of kaiju around the world. In the series Godzilla: Oblivion, there is an army of small mass-produced Mechagodzillas that bear the appearance of Kiryu.

History

Although the original Godzilla had been killed in 1954 by the Oxygen Destroyer, Japan still found itself under attack from other monsters such as Mothra and Gaira over the decades. When a second Godzilla landed in Tateyama in 1999, this was the last straw. The Anti-Megalosaurus Force (AMF) division of the Japanese Xenomorph Self-Defense Force (JXSDF) proposed to dredge up the skeleton of the first Godzilla from the ocean and use it as a skeletal framework for constructing a mechanical Godzilla to combat the new Godzilla.

The plan was executed, with cloned DNA from the bones inserted into the quasi-organic computer controls, intended to take over subconscious motor control functions for the crew. By 2003, the Mechagodzilla, nicknamed Kiryu, was ready. Kiryu was unleashed when Godzilla surfaced at Hakkeijima, but when the cyborg faced off against Godzilla, something horrific happened: the cyborg's own memories of when it was Godzilla were reawakened by the modern Godzilla's own roars. Kiryu broke free of its pilot, Akane Yashiro, and proceeded to trash Yokohama, ignoring attempts at manual override. Godzilla left the city and headed back to the ocean, with Kiryu continuing its rampage until its fuel ran out.

The Japanese public was not amused. Hastily recalled, Kiryu received quite a few weapon upgrades in addition to new computer control software routines. When Godzilla appeared in Tokyo a few days later, both branches of the JSDF tried stopping him without the mecha's help, but it was useless. With Akane at the mecha's control again, Kiryu was sent out.

The second battle went well until Kiryu's receiver was damaged. Akane wanted to enter Kiryu and repair it herself despite orders against it. She then piloted the cyborg directly from the control room in its skull, carrying Godzilla out into Tokyo Bay once more. Akane tried to destroy Godzilla with Kiryu's ultimate weapon, the Absolute Zero Cannon, but the fight ended in a draw. Godzilla went back to the sea, though not before suffering a horribly shredded chest, and Kiryu was taken back to AMF headquarters after suffering a destroyed right arm, a damaged Absolute Zero Cannon, and empty powercells.

In 2004, Akane was sent to America for further flight training. Taking her place in case Godzilla appeared was Akiba. Kiryu underwent heavy repairs, having his Absolute Zero Cannon replaced with a triple Hyper Maser Cannon and a collapsible drill installed in his hand. After a year of modifications, the Modified Type-3 Kiryu (3式機龍改, San-Shiki-Kiryū Aratame?) was nearly completed.

Mothra's twin fairies, the Shobijin, appeared to warn Japan. They claimed that building Kiryu using the bones of the Godzilla that appeared in 1954 was a violation of the natural order of things, attracting the current Godzilla. The twins further claimed that Mothra would gladly take Kiryu's place in protecting Japan if they agreed to dismantle Kiryu, and if they declined, Mothra would be forced to attack Japan. Since Kiryu had been built partially to defend against a second attack from Mothra herself, the Japanese government declined.

But when Godzilla appeared in Tokyo once again, Mothra voluntarily engaged him, and Prime Minister Hayato Igarashi was shamed into aiding her. Kiryu flew into battle again. Despite the team up, the current adult Mothra was killed and Kiryu's transmitter damaged once again. Just like Akane before him, Kiryu's chief engineer Yoshito Chujo entered Kiryu for repairs, but remained inside the mech during the battle after Godzilla's beam had accidentally struck both of the hatch doors, damaging and jamming them.

Teaming up with the newly-hatched twin Mothra larvae, Kiryu was able to use his drill in his right arm to injure Godzilla's chest even more, eventually reaching and tearing up his insides. While Godzilla screamed in pain, Kiryu fired his Triple Hyper Maser and Maser Cannons at Godzilla, making Godzilla's roar trigger another flashback in Kiryu which was directly channeled to Yoshito. Godzilla was then wrapped up by the twin Mothra larvae's silk. Unable to fight, Godzilla dropped to the ground, allowing Kiryu to win the battle. After being ordered to finish Godzilla, Kiryu broke free of Akiba's control. Instead of finishing his battle, he merely subdued Godzilla, carrying him out to sea. After releasing Yoshito to safety, Kiryu displayed a message saying "Sayonara Yoshito" on a computer monitor, then plunged into the depths with his organic counterpart, allowing himself to finally rest in peace, while ensuring Godzilla would survive.

Weapons

While the Showa and Heisei Mechagodzilla are constructed of fictional alloys, it is never specified what Kiryu's armor is made out of. It is the first Mechagodzilla to include organic parts, built from the skeleton of the original Godzilla and using Godzilla's DNA in its computer system. Additionally, unlike previous Mechagodzillas, Kiryu's tail was able to move which allowed Kiryu to use it as a weapon.

Kiryu is a well-balanced machine and the most agile Mechagodzilla to date, moving with a fluid, almost organic grace. Despite his agility, Kiryu is incredibly strong, being able to grab Godzilla by the tail and swing him around with ease. Its armament includes oral maser cannons, dual rail guns on each arm, and a flight pack that contains two forward firing rocket launchers and four batteries along its back and sides for launching guided missiles. Upon emptying its payload, the flight pack can detach from Kiryu's body and be launched to push the enemy a safe distance back before being remotely detonated. In Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., the flight pack was replaced by weapon pods where rockets were fired; leaving the attached thrusters on Kiryu's body to maintain its aerial capabilities. For close combat, a short blade can be extended from Kiryu's right wrist which was not only able to penetrate Godzilla's nearly impervious hide, but was also able to discharge a crippling electrical surge into his opponent's body. In Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., Kiryu's arsenal was upgraded to allow its right hand to collapse into a revolving drill. Like the previous Mechagodzillas, Kiryu was also able to fly; although its limited energy reserves required the machine to be airlifted to the battlefield by two White Herons.

Kiryu's most devastating weapon is the Absolute Zero Cannon, a weapon also utilized by the Gotengo. Stored in its chest behind a trio of folding panels, the Absolute Zero Cannon fires a ball of energy that flash-freezes its target to Absolute Zero, thereby causing it to disintegrate under the weight of its own mass at the molecular level. Forty percent of Kiryu's power is devoted to using this weapon. After being heavily damaged in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla, the Absolute Zero Cannon was deemed too expensive to repair and was replaced by a Triple Hyper Maser Cannon in Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. The Triple Hyper Maser Cannon could be fired simultaneously with Kiryu's mouth cannon, which would cause Godzilla agonizing pain if fired at his chest wound.

While a powerful fighter, Kiryu suffers from a few weaknesses: Due to being constructed around the original Godzilla's remains, the first Godzilla's spirit is still attached to Kiryu, and has overridden all external control over the mech in two instances. Because it has limited power reserves, Kiryu can only be in action for at least two hours or less when the use of Absolute Zero is involved.

Kiryu has appeared in the video game Godzilla: Save the Earth for Both Xbox and PlayStation 2 under the name "Mechagodzilla 3." Kiryu also appeared in Godzilla: Unleashed for the Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 2 under his actual name from both Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S., "Kiryu." Kiryu was available in Japan's version of Godzilla: Destroy All Monsters Melee on the Nintendo GameCube. Since that film would take a few years to reach America, Kiryu was dropped from the American GameCube version of the game. However, he did appear in the American Xbox version of the game alongside the Heisei Mechagodzilla. Kiryu also appeared in the Japanese version of Godzilla: Domination! in place of the Heisei Mechagodzilla, who was featured in the North American version. Kiryu has the same exact moves as the Mechagodzilla in the American version, and all differences are purely cosmetic. It should also be mentioned that the ending for Mechagodzilla still showcases the Heisei version as well.

Kiryu returns in Godzilla: Save the Earth. Kiryu is an overall good fighter that is also one of the last unlocked. Kiryu can use its mouth cannon, missiles, and plasma blade to get an edge over his foes. His rage attack is the Absolute Zero Cannon, which freezes his opponent while also dealing major damage. In Godzilla: Unleashed, Kiryu returns with an augmented moveset. It is a starter character in this game unlike his previous appearance. Kiryu is very agile and a very good fighter.

"Kiryu is a cyborg monster generated by the Global Defense Force to protect human cities from monster threats. Kiryu is genetically identical to Godzilla, but has been augmented with armor plating, enhanced reflexes, and limited flight capabilities. These enhancements have eliminated his natural ability to create atomic fire, so he has been outfitted with homing rockets, an electrical cannon, and the fearsome Absolute Zero cannon-which can immobilize any monster in a single hit. Kiryu is the GDF's most successful defender yet, and is their first and best option for defending humanity."

In the PlayStation 3 version of Godzilla, Kiryu appears as one of the final bosses if Godzilla has reached 100 meters. He will only be summoned if the G-Generators are destroyed fast enough. If they are not, Super Mechagodzilla will appear instead. Kiryu attacks using his battle pack at first, then switches to melee attacks and the Hyper Maser once the pack is destroyed. If he is defeated, he will appear in the end cutscene carrying a frozen Godzilla back to the ocean, sinking with him. This is a reference to Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S..

In the PlayStation 4 version, Kiryu will be summoned on stage 8 with the Gotengo if the player takes the hard route all the way through. Kiryu is also playable in the "Defend" variation of God of Destruction Mode in this version of the game. Kiryu has a chance to appear on the next-to-last stage of God of Destruction Mode when playing as Godzilla, and will be accompanied by the imago Mothra, who will aid him against the player. This is another reference to Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.

Comics

Kiryu appears in Godzilla: Ongoing where he is constructed by billionaire Daniel Malmon to replace the previous Mechagodzilla. Kiryu battles Godzilla and briefly has the upper hand. Kiryu attempts to use his Absolute Zero cannon on Godzilla, but Godzilla counters it with his atomic breath, creating a beam clash which Kiryu loses. With Kiryu damaged and immobile, Godzilla leaves.

Kiryu is later stolen by Harrison, Boxer's estranged son and a member of his "Kaiju Kill Crew" and sent to Monster Island to free the Earth monsters being contained there so that they can battle the space monsters. Kumonga hitches a ride on Kiryu's back while Boxer and Hikari join Harrison in the cockpit, and Kiryu heads to New York to take on Monster X. Monster X easily beats Kiryu and Kumonga before SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla both arrive. During the ensuing battle, Kiryu is knocked into the Hudson River. As Kiryu begins to flood and sink, Boxer manages to get the Absolute Zero cannon operational. Using a well-timed shot, Kiryu freezes SpaceGodzilla, rendering him helpless while Godzilla blasts him and apparently destroys SpaceGodzilla.

Kiryu appears in The Half-Century War #5, where he is constructed by the Anti-Megalosaurus Force. Kiryu is deployed to Antarctica where the AMF has just completed constructing the Dimension Tide, which they hope will finally stop the space monsters King Ghidorah and Gigan. Godzilla arrives and battles the space monsters, but is badly outmatched. Luckily, Ota Murakami takes command of Kiryu and assists Godzilla in the battle. The AMF activates the Dimension Tide, and the combined efforts of Kiryu and Godzilla manage to banish Gigan and King Ghidorah into a black hole. Before Godzilla can escape, Kiryu stabs him and holds him still. As the black hole tears Kiryu apart, the cockpit is exposed, allowing Murakami to finally see Godzilla face-to-face. Eventually, the force of the black hole destroys Kiryu and apparently sucks Godzilla in as well, though Godzilla's dorsal plates are visible breaking the water in the aftermath of the battle.

Kiryu appears in Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #11, now upgraded to his Modified Type-3 Kiryu design. In this issue, Kiryu is sent to Paris to subdue Baragon. Baragon breathes fire at Kiryu and fights fiercely, but Kiryu is able to overcome and capture Baragon, after which he brings Baragon to the new Monster Islands.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #12, Kiryu is sent along with a naval fleet to assault the Devonian capital. However, Destoroyah attacks the fleet and kills Kiryu's pilot. Jet Jaguar realizes that he is no match for Destoroyah, and decides to shrink to human size and pilot Kiryu. Jet Jaguar uses Kiryu's Absolute Zero cannon to freeze Destoroyah, killing him in one hit.

In Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #14, Kiryu is sent to Antarctica to recover the supposed dead body of Anguirus following his battle with a Mechagodzilla. When it is discovered that Anguirus is still alive, Kiryu restrains him and is ordered to fly Anguirus to a secret facility in Russia. On the way there, Kiryu and the jets escorting him are attacked by a group of Mechagodzillas. Kiryu is shot down over Russia while Anguirus escapes to go join Godzilla in battle against Mecha-King Ghidorah and more Mechagodzillas.

Kiryu was later repaired and joined the massive counter attack against the Trilopods. The mech managed to freeze a Baragon Trilopod, before getting pounced on and destroyed by the Varan and Sanda Trilopods.

Kiryu appeared in the first issue of Godzilla: Oblivion. In this comic, Kiryu was present in an alternate dimension, where he was seen battling a small version of Rodan. Kiryu had the upper hand, until more Rodans appeared and began to give him some trouble.

In the the third issue, after salvaging the metals from the other dimension, Earth scientists used their replicators on them, and used them to build an army of Kiryus in order to fight Godzilla. The Kiryus attacked Godzilla over the open ocean, distracting him while the humans salvaged the carcass of King Ghidorah and revived him as the more powerful Mecha-King Ghidorah. When Godzilla eventually destroyed all of the Kiryus with his atomic breath and claws, he pursued the humans to their base and engaged Mecha-King Ghidorah.

Gallery

Sightings

Kiryu is featured in the 2011 sci-fi novel Ready Player One. The novel's antagonist, Nolan Sorrento, selects Mechagodzilla from a list of giant robots to control in the OASIS, a MMO game which acts as the novel's primary setting. Sorrento later activates Mechagodzilla in battle by shouting "Kiryu!". Kiryu is eventually defeated by the novel's protagonist, Wade Watts, who transforms into another iconic Japanese giant, Ultraman.

Roar

Kiryu's roars and sound effects

In Other Languages

Kiryu has very little translations compared to his alternate title. Latin alphabets are generally the same. Other translations:

Chinese: 机龙

Serbian: Кириу

Russian: Кирью

Yiddish: קיריו

Trivia

When Kiryu is possessed by the first Godzilla's spirit, his eyes turn red. Yet when the spirit is not malevolent, it develops a scar without the red eyes.

The idea of having the ghost of the original Godzilla come back to life was tossed around for the cancelled Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla film that was originally intended to end the Heisei series. The title card for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla may allude to this, as it initially reads "Godzilla vs. Godzilla" (ゴジラ×ゴジラ, Gojira tai Gojira?) before displaying the film's true title, while the real title for Godzilla vs. Ghost Godzilla was also going to be Godzilla vs. Godzilla (ゴジラＶＳゴジラ, Gojira buiesu Gojira?).

Kiryu is the first and only Mechagodzilla that could use its tail to attack since Kiryu has the bones of the original Godzilla, allowing its tail to move. This also grants Kiryu some increased mobility in conjunction with its rotatable rocket boosters, as Kiryu can use its tail like a rudder to steer.

Kiryu is the second Mechagodzilla to appear in more than one movie, with the first being the original Mechagodzilla.

A separate and unique copyright icon for Kiryu, under the name "Mechagodzilla MFS3," was included in the 2004 video game Godzilla: Save the Earth. However, this icon appears to have since been abandoned, as it has never been used since and all official media simply use the default Mechagodzilla icon for Kiryu.

Video

References

This is a list of references for Kiryu. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]